Archives for 2014

On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. Joshua 4:14 (ESV)

God uses this amazing miracle of the parting and crossing of the Jordan to validate Joshua before the people. This was one of the purpose of the miracles performed by Jesus too. See John 14:11

so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” Joshua 4:24 (ESV)

The memorial God asked the children of Israel to build with stones taken from the crossing of the Jordan would serve as a reminder of God great deliverance to the children of Israel and would stand as a testimony of God’s great power to the rest of the world. Today our own lives should stand as a testimony and reminder of Gods great power to us and those around us. See 1 Peter 2:4 and 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

When we think back to Gods great work in delivering us, when we consider his great power, we should fear him. This is not being horrified or scared but to consider God with respect and reverence. We should never lose our awe when we think of God, only God is truly awesome. See Hebrews 12:28

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. Joshua 5:9 (ESV)

God has done it, he has brought the children of Israel across the Jordan river and their feet are now in the promised land, this along with the circumcision of this new generation breaks the reproach of the faithless generation which would have caused Egypt and the surrounding nations to mock the Israelites in their failed mission.

Our Gilgal today is the resurrection of Jesus where the stone was rolled away and their reproach of those who say our God was defeated is silenced. See Luke 24:2-6

And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” Joshua 5:14 (ESV)

This is no mere Angel as an Angel would not receive worship from a man, this commander of the army of the Lord is one of many times we see the pre-incarnate Jesus appear in the Old Testament. In other places in the old testament this being is referred to as the Angel of the Lord. This is further proof of the trinity in the OT.

Whether this was an appearance of Christ before his incarnation or as some suggest just a high ranking Angel, it is clear that this points to Jesus who is the commander of heavens armies in the final war. See Matthew 28:18 and Revelation 17:14. 19:11-21

So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Joshua 6:20 (ESV)

This was no natural phenomenon posing as a miracle, this was a miracle granted to the children of Israel because they obeyed God’s command. The command to shout at the city may have seemed strange to the natural mind but God used this act of faith to miraculously make the walls fall down flat.

When we shout praises to God we too can have faith that the walls standing before us will fall down. By the way archeology in this region proves the bibles account to be true.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (ESV)

The prosperity gospel is wrong, we do not give to get, this is motivated by greed. We should give bountifully and God will cause us to reap for the purpose of giving even more (see verse 10). We are called to generous giving so avoid being stingy with what you have. God loves a cheerful giver, we should give with joy and not because we think we should but because we have chosen to.

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV)

We are blessed so we can bless others. We need to guard against selfishness and the western trap of never knowing when we have enough. The more the Lord enriches our lives, the more we should be generous with our money, time and energy for God’s glory.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 (ESV)

This gift that can’t be truly expressed in words is Jesus and the amazing grace God has granted us in Jesus. it is in light of this greatest of gifts that we should joyfully show Gods grace to others and live lives marked by generosity

We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. Psalm 48:9 (ESV)

As we worship God today let’s consider his faithfulness and love, shown most clearly in the life. death and resurrection of Jesus

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5 (ESV)

Joshua is the new leader for Gods people and needed to be encouraged to lead with boldness and confidence, God affirmed his new chosen leader by encouraging him that he would be with him as he was with Moses.

This principle of God maintaining continuity in the leadership of the church continues in the NT where elders are called to raise up younger men who can continue to lead God’s people forward, passing the baton from generation to generation. See 2 Timothy 2:2 where 4 generations of leaders are mentioned (Paul, Timothy, Faithful Men, Others)

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua 1:6 (ESV)

God tells Joshua three times in this chapter to be strong and courageous, on this occasion God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous because he (Joshua) will cause the people to inherit the land that God had promised to them. Another reason for Joshua to be confident is that in the last verse (5) God made an amazing promise of invincibility, God said no one would ever be able to stand before Joshua.

Joshua is an old testament type of Jesus, they share the same name and both have a calling to bring God’s people into their inheritance as the captain of their salvation. No one can stand before Jesus, he is the ultimate victor. See the following regarding our inheritance Matthew 19:29, Colossians 3:24 and Hebrews 9:15

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

There are many books today about being successful, God’s formula is simple… keep reading the bible, think about it and live it out, this leads to prosperity and success and very often this will be the true riches valued by God and his people but not appreciated or recognised by the world. See 2 Timothy 3:16

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

God’s 2nd command to be strong and courageous, this time is because God promises to be with Joshua.

We can take encouragement from this, God will fight our battles, no devil can stand before us because greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world and we can be bold and courageous as we claim our inheritance in Christ. We see the call to boldness by the Holy Spirit from the start (Acts 4:31) to the end (Acts 28:31) of book of Acts and throughout the NT in places like Ephesians 3:12 and 1 Thessalonians 2:2

And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Joshua 2:11 (ESV)

This is a great and true confession, God alone is God, not just of heaven but of the earth which is his own creation. This is like Rahab’s statement of faith, she did not just hide the spies out of fear but had faith that the God she had heard about was the true God and that he was guaranteed the victory.

Rahab’s wise actions and faith were used in the providence of God to bring her as a pagan into the family of Gods people and covenants. It is from her line that David and later Jesus is born, pointing to the fact that God seeks to save people from all nations and walks of life.

See Matthew 1:5 for Rahab in Jesus family line, Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 for the reference to her faith.

And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. Joshua 2:21 (ESV)

Rahab did this in faith. Like the blood on the doorposts at Passover the red cord points forward to the blood of Jesus, when it is applied to our lives, when we put our faith in the word of God concerning the blood Jesus shed on the cross on our behalf we escape judgement, The judgment passes over us. See Ephesians 2:13 and Revelation 1:5

Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. Joshua 3:17 (ESV)

The crossing of Jordan into the promised land is alluded to in some of our hymns as being symbolic of death, passing from this life into the promised land of heaven. This death can also be seen as dying to the old self and coming alive to the new life in Christ which is symbolised by baptism. Romans 6:6–11

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. 2 Corinthians 9:5 (ESV)

Paul was a true father to this church, he did not want them to be shamed by the very church they had inspired to give to the collection for the poor in Jerusalem. To avoid this sort of shame we should follow through with our pledges as quickly as we can. When we give and serve the Lord we should actually do it, not just think or talk about it and we should do it willingly and with joy.

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Psalm 47:1 (ESV)

The psalms call us to sing loud songs of Joy to our great God, we are going to sing songs like this at our conference tonight 🙂

Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! Psalm 47:6–7 (ESV)

We should sing praises to God just because of who he is, God is the true King, he is the King of all the earth, not the devil, the earth is God’s and we should sing to him the praises any people would sing to their beloved and powerful king

God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. Psalm 47:8 (ESV)

God’s throne and authority is above all, God is sovereign, God is sovereign over every nation. This is said of Jesus in Colossians 1:16, Matthew 19:28, Ephesians 1:20-22 and Philippians 2:9–11